Red Waters
by Little Masa-ouki
Summary: The thoughts of Tenchi's family as a darkness sweeps over the Masaki house
1. Sasami`s Confusion

Disclaimer: These characters belong to AIC and Pioneer  
  
Waters is made up of two chapters: Red Waters, Black Waters  
Each chapter is broken into sections of each characters reflecting on what has  
just happened.  
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Red Waters  
Sasami's Confusion  
  
It's all my fault! I should've stopped her. I knew what was happening,  
but I refused to act, as if pretending that it wasn't going to happen would stop  
it from happening. I had seen it in a dream, but I dismissed it, and forced  
myself to forget it. Even now, I do not remember the dream, although I know I  
had it, and I search my mind for it.  
It all started this morning, but none of us realized that until tonight.  
  
We were having breakfast as usual. It wasn't my best breakfast.  
Something was troubling me. Something from last night, but I couldn't, or at   
least wouldn't, remember what it was.  
Ayeka froze, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. Without a word, she  
stood and quickly walked out of the room. Tenchi followed her, and I followed  
Tenchi.  
Ayeka stood in front of her sapling, Ryu-oh. The rainbow voice of the  
Ryo-oh bounced into the sky. One beam of Ryo-oh's voice was connected to  
Ayeka's crown. Ayeka did not move, she just stood there, the beams of light  
rippling and shifting colors. We just stood there watching her, afraid to  
speak, afraid to do anything.  
After what seemed like forever, the rainbow lights disappeared, and  
Ayeka sighed.  
"Ayeka? Are you all right?" Tenchi asked. "You look...lost."  
"On the contrary, Lord Tenchi, where I am has never been more clear."  
"What was that all about?"  
"Nothing that you should worry about, Lord Tenchi. Just a Jurian thing.  
Something that had to happen."  
She lied! It was something that Tenchi should have worry about,  
something I should've worried about too. But she didn't say what it was, so we   
couldn't.  
  
The rest of the day was quieter than usual. Ayeka seemed really busy.  
First she washed her Princess robes, the very pretty white ones that she wore  
when she first came to Earth, but she hasn't worn since, because they're only  
for official things. She made sure they were as clean as possible, washing  
them several times.  
Then she washed the floors, and cleaned our room. Ryo-oki and I tried  
to get her to play with us, but she said that she was too busy.  
"Everything must be perfect." is what she said.  
She stopped working to watch our favorite soap. Something she was doing  
was bugging Ryoko, cuz Ryoko kept yelling at her to stop, but I was busy  
watching the show.  
After the show was over, we had lunch. She ate lunch very slowly, but  
she ate a lot. Three whole servings!  
After lunch she did play with Ryo-oki and me. We played hide and seek,  
and tag, and all sorts of games.  
Then she went out for a walk. She didn't come back until the evening.  
We were all watching the news, and looked up when she came in. She glanced at  
everybody, going down the row, looking in each person's eyes. She stared at me  
for a long time. It made me feel very uncomfortable, although I didn't know   
why. I know why now, although I still don't know the why behind that one.  
"If anybody needs me, I shall be in my room. Please, do not interrupt  
me unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed."  
Slowly she walked up the stairs. Something about her was wrong, very  
wrong. I listened to my heart pound as she disappeared from sight.  
"Miya?" Ryo-oki asked, after a while.  
"I don't know, Ryo-oki." Ryoko smiled. "Maybe she's creating a secret  
carrot stash."  
Ryo-oki's eyes lit up. Dropping into her cabbit form, she darted up the  
stairs.  
"Shh!" Tenchi hushed with a smile on his face. We listened, and, sure  
enough, a soft thud was heard, as Ryo-oki forgot to phase through the door.  
Everybody burst out laughing.  
"Wait!" Tenchi said through his laughs. We listened for it again, when  
Ayeka inevitably chased her out.  
For a long time, no sound came. I looked up at Tenchi, who still held  
his hand up for silence. Every muscle in his body froze, and sweat poured down  
his face. Then we heard a loud crack, and Ryo-oki came bolting down the stairs.  
"Ryo-oki!" Ryoko gasped as she clutched her head. "Slow down!"  
"Ayeka!" Tenchi screamed. He ran towards the stairs and leapt over the  
banister, landing about half-way up the stairs, and taking the rest in a single  
bound.  
"Tenchi!" I cried. "What's wrong? Is Ayeka hurt?" I ran up the stairs   
as fast as I could. He knelt in the doorway to our room.  
"Tenchi? Ayeka? What happened?" I asked as I turned to peer into the  
room I shared with Ayeka.   
Everything looked normal, except that the place was cleaner than  
usual. No spec of dust was to be found, and everything was perfectly in place.  
Ayeka had really cleaned the place. I couldn't see Ayeka, but I couldn't see  
her futon or most of the room from where I stood. Something seemed wrong  
though. There was something on the floor. I leaned forward to get a better  
look.  
The next thing I knew I was across the hall in Mihoshi's room. My chest  
stung, and the back of my head throbbed with a dull pain. Tenchi...hit me?  
Shaking my head, I stood up and staggered to the door. But it wouldn't open.  
Tenchi had locked it.  
"Tenchi? Tenchi? What's going on? Let me out!" Something was wrong.  
I prepared to dive out the door when somebody came in to talk to me, to see what  
was going on.  
"Sasami." Ryoko whispered from behind me. So much for that idea!  
"What's going on? Where's my sister? I want to talk to Ayeka!"  
"You can't." Ryoko said, her voice wavering slightly. "Not now."  
"When?" I asked, although I think I already knew the answer. I'm not  
sure. It was all so fast and the voice of my mind and my heart were yelling  
and getting all mixed up. I don't know what I knew then. It doesn't matter,  
really. I know now. "When will I be able to see her?"  
"Never..." She cried as tears ran down her cheeks.  
"That's not funny Ryoko." I yelled. I closed my eyes, willing time to  
freeze, so Ryoko would not speak. So I could pretend it was just a stupid joke,  
and that Ayeka was fine.  
"It's true." Ryoko choked.  
"You're lying!" I screamed. Blue lightning, the power of Tsunami,  
flowed from my arms and smashed into Ryoko. She screamed in horrendous pain,   
dropping to the floor as the energy coursed through her body, but I didn't stop.  
If she was dead, then she couldn't talk, couldn't tell me that she was telling  
the truth, and my sister would be alive. It was childish reasoning, but I'm a  
child, even if I don't always act like one.  
Through the pain she managed to gasp, "I'm...sorry..."  
I dropped my arms, letting Ryoko breathe in ragged breaths, letting her  
live.  
  
Now I lay on Mihoshi's futon, trying to bring up details of what I saw  
before Tenchi hit me.  
Everything looked normal, except that the place was cleaner than  
usual. No spec of dust was to be found, and everything was perfectly in place.  
Ayeka had really cleaned the place. I couldn't see Ayeka, but I couldn't see  
most of the room. Something seemed wrong though. There was something on the  
floor. Something...red.  
It was blood, Ayeka's blood, flowing across the floor like red water.  
It's all my fault!  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Shortly after beginning this fic, I read BGlanders's "Gentle Sound of  
Thunder." It is an excellent dark fic and, unfortunately, is in a very similar  
format. It goes through each person's perspective slowly advancing through the  
story, while filling in the gaps in the past at the same time. But the formats  
are slightly different. Most importantly, I want to stress the fact that I came  
up with this idea several weeks before reading "Gentle Sound of Thunder" and  
started writing it several days before reading it. So don't accuse me of being  
a copycat.  
If you like darkfics, then I strongly suggest "Gentle Sound of Thunder."  
If you don't like darkfics, then why are you here?  
  
Send all C&C to lighthawkwings@masakishrine.com  
  



	2. Ryo-ohkis Discovery

Disclaimer: These characters belong to AIC and Pioneer  
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Red Waters  
Ryo-oki's Discovery  
  
I called her the Angel. She was always willing to pet me or give me  
attention when the others were busy. Rarely was I in the way. Hardly ever was  
she too busy to watch me perform a cartwheel, or sing a song. She would sneak  
me carrots when the others weren't looking. She would smile at me with her  
gentle face.  
I called her the Angel.  
They called her Ayeka.  
I never thought of people by the names that other people used. I give  
them new names, one's which fit them, so I can remember them. I learned their  
"real" names as well, because that is how they refer to eachother, even when  
talking to me.  
I called her the Angel.  
I think my name for her is better. Ayeka is just a word. But my name  
is who she is.  
Who she was at least. Now, I'm not so sure.  
I wish I could understand this. It's so confusing. I wish I was like  
the others, so I too could understand.  
  
I knew from the begining that something was wrong about this day. I did  
not know what, nor did I know how I knew that something was wrong.  
Little things agreed with me that something was wrong. I wish I was  
like the others, then maybe I could've understood, and then maybe things   
wouldn't be how they are. At least I would understand how things are now, and   
possibly, why?  
Even the begining was wrong. Sister moved slower than usual. Her eyes  
were not open wide like they are supposed to be. She would stop and try to  
remember exactly where she was in her recipe.  
When Sister can't cook, something is wrong.  
Soon the others came down and Sister and I set the table. I stared at  
Sister, chewing on a carrot.  
Then Sister got up. She followed Heaven and Earth. He was following  
the Angel. She walked out the back, to her special spot, where her tree grew.  
I believe they call it Ryu-oh. I do not know what to call it yet, because it is  
so strange. So I simply call it the Angel's Tree, until I can give it a real  
name.  
I like talking to the Angel's Tree. It speaks with funny lights which  
bounce from it's leaves. I don't understand what it says, but I'm learning.  
I wonder if it understands me.  
The Angel was talking to her tree now. I "listened" in, but I still did  
not know what it was. I wish I was like the Angel. Then I would've known what  
her tree was saying. Then maybe things wouldn't be how they are.  
The Angel spoke with Heaven and Earth. I do not remember what they  
said, because I didn't understand what it meant. Not like before, with the  
Angel's Tree, where I could not understand the light that it spoke with. I   
understood the words they said, although I do not remember them, but I did not   
understand what they meant together. Something about being lost, but that made   
no sense, because Home was insight, you could not be lost so close to it.   
Heaven and Earth sounded confused. I was confused too. Because the Angel   
sounded like she was saying good-bye, but she went back to Home.  
  
I watched as the Angel washed her clothing. She washed it over and over  
again. It must be special clothing if it needs to be so clean. I never saw  
her wearing it before. It was white, a very soft white. Heaven and Earth came  
by, and then Master did. They asked her what she was doing, and why, and her  
answers was simple enough. But it still confused me. Now she sounded like she  
was saying that she was sorry, even though her words just answered their   
questions. Why was she sorry? Was she not supposed to wash this clothing?  
What was so special about it?  
I leaned over and stared at it, floating in the soapy water. It was  
very pretty, and very clean. I didn't see what was wrong with the Angel washing  
it, if it made it look so nice.  
A loud plunk threw suds onto my face. I had dropped my carrot into the  
water with the clothing. I started crying. Because I had soap in my eye.  
Because I ruined the Angel's pretty clothing, because carrots don't belong with  
laundry. Because something was wrong, and I did not know what or why or how to  
fix it.  
The Angel just laughed as she dabbed my eye with a wet towel, until the  
soap was gone. It still stung, but not as much. Then the Angel smiled, and  
reached into her kimono. She pulled out another carrot and handed it to me.  
I think she thought that was why I was crying, because I lost my carrot. That  
wasn't it, but I was still happy, because if I had ruined her clothing, then she  
wouldn't be so nice to me. So everything must have been okay.  
  
Sister and I tried to get the Angel to play with us, but she was busy.  
She washed all of the floors. Then she cleaned up the room that she and Sister  
slept in. She did everything over and over again, like when she washed her  
clothing. She must have wanted everything to be really clean and really pretty.  
"Everything must be perfect." She replied when Sister and I asked her  
why she worked so hard.  
But she did play with us. After lunch, which seemed to last longer than  
it usually did.  
We played hide and seek! For some reason, the Angel was always easier   
to find than Sister. I guess it's because she was so much bigger, but it seemed  
to be more than that. She also didn't get as upset as Sister when I found her.  
We also played tag! The Angel chased after me as I bounded away. She  
leapt and grabbed me. We rolled down the hill, the Angel laughing brightly.  
I liked her laugh. She never laughed enough.  
We played lots of games. We threw a ball around, ran races, and played  
Catch the Carrot! The Angel smiled and I felt alright. Nothing bad was going  
to happen, or else she wouldn't be so happy.  
But something bad did happen. I think she knew it was going to happen,  
even though she was happy.  
I wish I was like the others, so I could understand.  
  
After playing with us, the Angel went for a long walk. I wanted to go  
with her, but she said that she needed to be alone. Sister called for me, and  
I ran off to see what she wanted.  
I watched out the window a lot, waiting for the Angel to come back. I  
did not like it when Master went to get sake, or Heaven and Earth went to plow  
the fields, even though it meant more carrots, or anybody leaving for any   
reason. I felt best when everybody was together, even if Master and the Angel  
were fighting.  
The Angel came back late. I was curled up in Sister's lap, as they   
watched something on the TV, when the Angel opened the door. She looked at  
everybody, going from person to person. She smiled when she looked at me.  
So why was I upset?  
"If anybody needs me, I shall be in our room. Please, do not interrupt  
me unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed."  
I watched as she walked up the stairs. She seemed happy, yet...not happy.  
I tried to think if there were any new songs I had learned, or any new  
tricks that I could show her, but I had already sang my new song to her that  
afternoon when we played.  
"Miya?" I asked Master, what is she doing?  
"I don't know, Ryo-oki." Master smiled. "Maybe she's creating a secret  
carrot stash."  
A carrot stash? I could help her! Then she would not be alone, and   
maybe she would give me some of her carrots. I wouldn't tell anybody where they   
were!  
Shedding my humanoid body for the speed of my cabbit body, I raced as   
fast as I could, up the stairs. I ran into the door that led to the room that   
she and Sister slept in.  
I dropped back to the floor, the world spinning. I always forget to   
phase before I pass through the door.  
I land on the other side of the door.  
"Miya?" I call, looking for the Angel. There she was! She was sleeping  
on her little bed. She was dressed in a pretty pink dress. It looked a lot  
like the clothing she was washing this morning, except that was white.  
I started towards her, when I noticed something odd. Red water flowed  
across the floor. The Angel would be very upset. She had just cleaned the  
floor. She had cleaned it so well.  
Tentatively, I touched the red water with a paw. It was thicker than  
normal water, and slightly sticky. I didn't like it. I didn't want to touch  
it.  
I leapt onto the Angel. I had to wake her up, so the red water wouldn't  
ruin anymore of her clean floors.  
"Miya." I whispered, nudging her with a paw. She did not move.  
"Miya?" I asked louder, confused. How could the Angel be sleeping so  
heavily? She had just gone to sleep. Still no response.  
"Miya!" I screamed, despirately. Still she did not awake.  
Then I noticed it. There was something on her, in her. It was shiny,  
like Sister's spoon that she stirs soup with, but it was shaped like Heaven and  
Earth's key. There seemed to be more of it, but it faded into...  
Red water! The red water came from the Angel!  
I did not understand what this meant, but I knew that it was bad.  
Heaven and Earth would help! So would Master and Mother. Mother would  
make everything alright. She was very smart, and always fixed things.  
With a sense of urgency I had never known before, I raced from the room.  
I lept through the door, forgetting to phase again. Splinters cut deeply as I  
landed on the other side.  
Master!  
I ran down the stairs, yelling at Master what I saw, asking her what it  
was.  
"Ryo-oki!" Her voice echoed through my mind. "Slow down." She sent   
warmth and comfort to me, but it did little good against the fear and confusion   
that was in me.  
Heaven and Earth ran up the stairs. Master teleported away once she had  
seen what I saw. I raced back the way I came.  
I reached the top to see Heaven and Earth attack Sister. In one move,   
he knocked her away, flying across the hall and into the other room. He lept   
up, slamming the door and twisted the knob. Why? What had he done? Why did he  
attack Sister? Was the Angel okay?  
I looked at Master's thoughts. Master had told me not to, that I should  
only look when she told me I could, but I didn't listen. This was more  
important.  
I still don't understand! Why is the Angel dead? What is dead? It is  
all so confusing. The Angel is dead. I thought she was asleep. You don't  
return from dead. I don't know why. Dead is like sleep, but you don't wake  
up. You can't wake up. I don't know why.  
I wish I could understand this. It's so confusing. I wish I was like   
the others, so I too could understand.  
  
Now I fly through space, in my true form, carrying Heaven and Earth   
inside me. I do not know where we are going, or why. But Heaven and Earth   
does. I think.  
He doesn't know exactly why we are doing this, only that we must, and   
that is good enough for me.  
I still don't understand, but I am begining to. The Angel is dead, so  
she will never come back. I don't know why she is dead, but there is a cause,  
if not a reason. Somebody made the Angel dead, and now we must make him dead,  
so he cannot do this again. You can't wake up from dead. Everything has  
changed, and anything that hasn't soon will. And it is this man's fault, and so  
we will make him dead.  
I don't think that making him dead will make the Angel not dead. I'm  
not sure. I'd like to think it would, but it doesn't seem to be the way this   
works. Dead is a sleep you don't wake from. But the man might try to make   
others dead, so we must make him dead.  
I still don't understand, but I understand this. What was is gone. The  
person who sleeps in dead is no longer the person who I give my flowers too.  
She is no longer the person who is always willing to watch me and teach me new  
things to show others. She is no longer the person who sneaks me carrots when  
the others aren't looking. She is no longer one of the people that makes Home  
so great for everybody. She is no longer Ayeka.  
I think my name for her is better. Ayeka is just a word. But my name  
is who she is.  
Who she was at least. Now, I'm not so sure. She is no longer Ayeka,  
but my name might still be who she is. Maybe, my name is even more who she is  
now, than who she was before.  
I called her the Angel.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I've had the idea of Ryo-oki using different names for everybody long  
before this fic. Originally the idea was for a scene that is upcoming in one of  
my fanfics, but it seemed too good to waste it there. Then this idea came   
along. It seemed to fit perfectly, allowing me to dive deeper into Ryo-oki's   
mind. Still, don't be surprised if I use it in another fic. I just don't   
picture Ryo-oki thinking of people as "Tenchi" or "Ayeka."  
  
It seems to me that Ryo-oki and Ayeka hit it off very well, especially   
at the begining. Ryo-oki was determined to make Ayeka like her, and you never   
see Ayeka more gentle and warm, than when Ryo-oki was befriending her. I   
thought it was worth noting.  
  
I also thought that Ryo-oki might have a hard time grasping the concept   
of death. I mean, when she dies, she is reborn, and nobody she knows has died,  
except Kagato, but she wasn't around for that. Ryo-oki is technically mineral  
so the entire thing is foreign to her, so she has to pick it up from Ryoko.  
  
Send all C&C to lighthawkwings@masakishrine.com  
  



	3. Ryoko`s Pain

Disclaimer: These characters belong to AIC and Pioneer  
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Red Waters  
Ryoko's Pain  
  
This isn't supposed to be how it ends. Not at all. I'm not sure how it  
was supposed to end anymore, but this was not it.  
I keep telling myself that there is nothing I could've done. I admit   
that the signs were there, but there was no way I could've known what they   
meant. And it's the truth. Nobody else figured it out either, and Tenchi and   
Washu are much better at reading people than I am.  
Somehow that doesn't make me feel better.  
The first signs were this morning. Ayeka froze, right in the middle of  
eating, her food inches from her mouth. Without a word, she stood up, and left.  
I figured it was just "that time of the month." Tenchi followed her, with  
Sasami behind him. Hey. His funeral.  
After breakfast, I went to the roof, to rest in the sun. After a short  
catnap, I noticed her. She was washing her white robes, the ones she first  
showed up in. I think they're her official ones or something, but I never really  
cared. She hadn't worn them since, which made me curious. They looked pretty  
clean to me, but she kept washing them.  
"You know, if you don't stop that soon, you'll be the first person ever   
to bleach white." I said with as much insult in my voice as I could muster.  
Ayeka froze for a second, then continued her work. "I must make sure.   
It is important that they are spotless for what is to come."  
"And that is?"  
"Just some Jurian diplomacy. I must deliver a message. Do not trouble  
yourself, Miss Ryoko." Now it's hard to see a tear fall into sloshing, soapy  
water, but the more I think back, the more I'm positive that it was.  
Damn! That was some message she sent!  
I spent the rest of the morning tormenting her, occasionally teleporting  
out to check on Tenchi. When she went to clean her room, I hovered in the air,  
pointing out dirt spots that didn't exist, and stuff like that. Ayeka didn't  
snap at me once. The more I taunted her, the more she worked. And the lower  
her shoulders dropped. I didn't notice that at the time either, but I  
should've. I guess, technically, I did, but I didn't acknowledge it.  
She finished working to watch our favorite soap, the one that the whole  
family, short of Nobuyuki and Katsuhito, gather to watch, the one that even  
Ayeka and I put aside our differences so we can watch without interruption.  
Except this time. Ayeka kept staring at me.  
"Hey! Cut that out! Watch the stupid program, Princess!" I'd snapped  
at her.  
"Sorry, Miss Ryoko." She'd murmur and avert her eyes  
"Shh!" the others would hiss.  
And then, several minutes later, I'd notice her watching me again. The  
entire scene repeated itself every five minutes. Ayeka had found a new way to  
annoy me.  
And I believed that.  
Then Ayeka ate a very big lunch.  
"With that kind of appetite, it's no wonder that Tenchi likes me better  
than you." There! That should get her. Just to be safe... "What, did Tenchi  
knock you up or something?"  
I don't think Ayeka even heard me. Her entire mind seemed to be focused   
on eating.  
After lunch, she disappeared on a walk. I could've found her, but that  
would be too much work. Besides, I didn't care. This gave me free time to  
flirt with Tenchi.  
She didn't come back until evening, when we were watching the news.   
Well, THEY were watching the news. I just wanted to be with Tenchi.  
Ayeka came in very slowly, drawing everybody's attention to her. Slowly  
her eyes moved from person to person, studying each of us. I didn't like it.  
She seemed to be memorizing every detail about me.  
"If anybody needs me, I shall be in our room. Please, do not interrupt  
me unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed."  
Slowly she disappeared up the stairs. She had the strangest face. I'm  
not good at reading those kinds of faces. Even now, I have no idea what she  
was feeling, what was going through her head and heart.  
"Miya?" Ryo-oki asked.  
"I don't know, Ryo-oki." I smiled. This was my last attempt. If this  
didn't get Ayeka, I must have slipped into a parallel universe. "Maybe she's  
creating a secret carrot stash."  
That was all Ryo-oki needed. Dropping into her cabbit form, she darted  
up the stairs.  
"Shh!" Tenchi hushed with a smile on his face. We listened, and, sure  
enough, a soft thud was heard, as Ryo-oki forgot to phase through the door.  
Everybody burst out laughing.  
"Wait!" Tenchi said through his laughs. We listened for it again, when  
Ayeka would inevitably chase her out.  
For a long time, no sound came. For some reason, Ayeka's face floated  
in my mind, wearing that strange expression that I could not read. Then we   
heard a loud crack, as Ryo-oki came bolting down the stairs.  
"Ryo-oki!" I gasped. "Slow down!" I clutched my head, as Ryo-oki's  
thoughts filled my mind. I tried sending her some soothing, warm thoughts,  
about Tenchi and carrots, to calm her down, but she didn't even seem to notice  
them.  
Ayeka, sleeping. Something was wrong about the way she slept. She wore  
soft pink robes. Red water flowed from her futon, across the floor.  
Pink robes...  
Red water...  
"Oh my god!" I screamed as I teleported into Ayeka's room. And it was  
true. Ayeka lay there, sleeping serenely, a silver dagger plunged through her  
heart, a piece of paper in next to her head. The blood had stained her dress a  
beautiful pink, and it flowed, across the floor like red water. Tenchi knelt in  
the doorway, sobbing, the blood lapping against his legs.  
This isn't supposed to be how it ends. I am supposed to win Tenchi,  
make him realize that he loves me in a way he could never love Ayeka. Or at   
least Ayeka wins, and makes him realize he loves her as he could not love me.   
But this... I cannot win be default...It's blasphemy.  
"Tenchi? Ayeka? What happened?" Oh no! Sasami! I turned to the door.  
I gasped as Tenchi backhanded Sasami, Sasami went crashing into Mihoshi's room.  
Tenchi leapt up and locked the door.  
I stared at Ayeka's form in disbelief for God knows how long.  
With a sigh, I teleported into Mihoshi's room.  
Sasami crouched, prepared to dart out the door the moment somebody  
opened it.  
"Sasami..." I whispered.  
"What's going on? Where's my sister? I want to talk to Ayeka!"  
"You can't." I said, fighting back the tears. I had to be strong.  
Sasami needed me to be strong. "Not now."  
"When? When will I be able to see her?"  
"Never..." Was all I could say as I exploded into tears. I failed. I  
could not be strong for Sasami. I was weak.  
"That's not funny Ryoko." She yelled.  
"It's true." I choked on my emotions.  
"You're lying!" Sasami screamed, hatred flaring in her eyes. That  
looked so odd. Hatred was completely "not-Sasami" and it was a complete   
contrast to her innocent face and soft pink eyes.  
I only had a moment to observe this before she struck me.  
My ultimate defense. I enjoy pain. I'm not sure why, but I do. Did  
Kagato program that into me? Or did I create it myself, as a way to block the  
anguish of those dark deeds, to accept them.  
However, this did nothing against Sasami's attack. I had only felt this  
kind of pain twice before, when I came in contact with the master-key. I do not  
understand why I cannot enjoy this pain as I enjoy other pain. Perhaps it is  
because Tsunami is the Goddess of Life, and it is not actually pain, but rather  
absense of no-pain. I'll probably never understand it, just as I will never  
understand why I feel good when my body is struck.  
Sasami's attack filled me with this alternate pain. It sapped my  
strength, dropping me to the floor, and there was nothing I could do, as it  
ravished my life energies.  
"I'm...sorry..." I gasped. I do not know who I was apologizing to.  
Ayeka,for not realizing what she was going to do, until it was too late? Tenchi   
for not sparing him from the pain of Ayeka's death? Sasami assumed that I  
apologized to her, for she dropped her attack, but I do not think that was it.  
I was apologizing to myself, for letting everything fall apart, even as  
it did.  
My earlier thoughts were wrong. It was not supposed to end with one of   
us winning Tenchi over the other, although that's what we both thought. The   
true ending was not supposed to exist. It was supposed to continue in the same  
manner, forever. Sasami cooking, Ryo-oki eating carrots, Ayeka and I engaging  
in friendly little fights. Nothing was supposed to change.  
The ending is not wrong, although it isn't right either, it can't be.  
When I think about it, I have no idea how else it could've ended. There were  
others possibilities of course, but I do not know what they were. I'm pretty  
sure that all of them would have been sad, some not as sad as this, possibly  
some even sadder. Not that it mattered, for this was the ending, whether it be  
right or wrong.  
It's not that the ending is wrong, but rather that there was not  
supposed to be an ending at all.  
Sadly, I teleported back into Ayeka's room. Tenchi would need me. I  
needed Tenchi.  
Mihoshi lay unconscious on the floor. Tenchi was not in sight!  
The note! I hurried to Ayeka's side, but the note was gone. Tenchi  
had taken it. Where was he?  
I felt Ryo-oki transform. Tenchi was with her. I teleported outside,  
but Ryo-oki was already out of the atmosphere. The anger in her mind blocked  
out any attempts to communicate with her. I could get very little from  
Ryo-oki's mind. Images of her trying to befriend Ayeka came out more than   
anything else. Ryo-oki had just lost a great friend, one that she had worked  
very hard to get. And she didn't understand why. But Tenchi did, and Tenchi  
would make things right. At least that's what Ryo-oki thinks. I'm not so sure.  
"Tenchi...Ryo-oki...what are you doing?"  
What is it that Tenchi knows? What can he possibly do, and why does he  
need my Ryo-oki? Why can't he need me too? I need to do something, or, at  
least, to have someone with me.  
I enjoy pain. But not this kind of pain. It hurt even more than  
Tsunami's pain.  
This isn't supposed to be how it ends.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
C&C lighthawkwings@masakishrine.com  
  



	4. Tenchi`s Duty

Disclaimer: These characters belong to AIC and Pioneer  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Red Waters  
Tenchi's Duty  
  
Damn it all! This is totally unfair! Why the hell did this have to  
happen? There is no reason for it, other than stupidity and stubborness.  
Damn me! Why didn't I see it coming? In a way I did, but a lot of good  
that did me.  
The signs were there, but I refused to believe it.  
Damn it all!  
  
I came down to breakfast, Ryoko refusing to let go of my arm. Ayeka and  
Ryoko began to fight, while they ate. I just focused on my food. It was good,  
but it wasn't up to Sasami's normal level. But everybody has some bad luck now  
and then.  
Not like mine though. My luck comes in tidal waves. First the good,   
now came the bad.  
Ayeka froze in the middle of eating. Hastily she excused herself from   
the table and ran out the back door.  
I hurried after her, a voice in my head yelling that I should not leave  
her alone. Sasami followed right behind me.  
Ayeka stood in front of her sapling, Ryu-oh. The rainbow voice of the  
Ryu-oh bounced into the sky. One beam of Ryu-oh's voice was connected to  
Ayeka's crown. Ayeka did not move, she just stood there, the beams of light  
rippling and shifting colors. We just stood there watching her, afraid to  
speak, afraid to do anything.  
After what seemed like forever, the rainbow lights disappeared, and  
Ayeka sighed.  
"Ayeka?" I called out. She turned around and paused when she saw us. I  
did not like the look on her face. It was as if...as if she was heading towards  
a light, only to find out that there was glass in the way, and no way around it.  
"Are you all right?" Tenchi asked. "You look...lost."  
"On the contrary, Lord Tenchi, where I am has never been more clear." If  
only I had realized what she had meant.  
"What was that all about?"  
"Nothing that you should worry about, Lord Tenchi. Just a Jurian thing.  
Something that had to happen." She sounded as if it was over, even though she  
actually spoke of events to come. But I did not realize that then, because her  
voice betrayed nothing. The event was over, and had no lasting results.  
  
Damn you Ayeka! Damn your political skills! Why did you have to be so  
good at hiding what you felt? Why did your training have to be so complete? If  
you were just a little bit worse, if I was just a little bit better, then I  
could've seen through your lies.  
And then I could've stopped you.  
Damn you! Damn me! Damn it all!  
  
As I walked towards the shrine, I passed Ayeka, working quietly at some  
laundry.  
"Um, Ayeka? Isn't it Mihoshi's turn to do laundry? You're chore is  
washing the floor, remember?"  
"Yes, I know, but I must make sure this is clean."  
"Are those your official robes? The ones you were wearing when you  
first came to Earth?"  
"Yes they are."  
"But you haven't worn those since you got here. Why do you need them to  
be so clean now?"  
"It is important that they are the purest white." Again the voice in my  
head screamed at me. The way she said that reminded me of angels, pure souls  
which danced in the heavens. Strangely, that sent shivers down my spine.  
"Um, why?"  
"Do not trouble yourself, Lord Tenchi. It is a private matter.  
Something I must do as the First Princess of Jurai."  
"Um, alright, but you still need to wash the floors."  
"I will."  
She washed the floor alright. With red water. With her own damn blood!  
  
After working all morning at the shrine, I took my lunch break. I  
raced back to watch that intergalactic soap that we always watch together.  
I thought I was crazy at the time, but I could've sworn that Ayeka  
was watching us, more than she was watching the show.  
And still I did nothing! God, I am such a fool!  
  
I showcased my stupidity again at lunch.   
"With that kind of appetite, it's no wonder that Tenchi likes me  
better than you. What, did Tenchi knock you up or something?" Ryoko threw the  
biggest barb she could, a direct reference to me prefering Ryoko over her, and  
an insult to Ayeka's honor. And Ayeka didn't react. How stupid could I be!  
  
It's what happened next that threw me off. That must be it. Ayeka  
playing with Ryo-oki and Sasami. They ran and hid and laughed. Surely nothing  
could be wrong. That's what threw me off. If that hadn't happened, I would've  
been more worried...  
Who am I kidding? I'm a complete moron. Ayeka could've come right out  
and said it, and I probably still wouldn't figure it out!  
Damn my naivity!  
Damn my blindness!  
Damn my stubbornness!  
Damn me!  
  
Ayeka left for a walk. A long walk. She didn't come back until late  
that night, when we were watching the news. Everybody turned to look at her.   
One by one, she looked at each of our faces. Her eyes locked with mine, and my   
heart refused to listen to the silent message.  
"Good-bye." Her eyes whispered.  
Her gaze lingered longer on me than any of the others. No, that's not  
true. It lingered longest on Sasami. Sasami looked so scared.  
"If anybody needs me, I shall be in our room. Please, do not interrupt   
me unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed."  
She walked with a strange expression on her face, one of pain and   
pleasure somehow mixed together.  
Why did I listen to her? It was idiocy! I knew what was happening but  
I did nothing!  
A question that will always haunt me is if she wanted me to listen to  
her. Was her last breath a sigh of relief or disappointment, that I did not  
stop her?  
"Miya?" Ryo-oki asked.  
"I don't know, Ryo-oki." Ryoko smiled. "Maybe she's creating a secret  
carrot stash."  
That was all Ryo-oki needed. Dropping into her cabbit form, she darted  
up the stairs.  
"Shh!" I hushed, everyone. I looked for comedy at a time of sorrow.  
What a jerk! We listened, and, sure enough, a soft thud was heard, as Ryo-oki  
forgot to phase through the door.  
Everybody burst out laughing.  
"Wait!" I said through my laughs. We listened for it again, when Ayeka  
chased her out.  
Time passed with no sound. Fear ran through my heart as my mind   
replayed all the events of today. NOW I noticed! Why couldn't I have noticed before.  
I didn't realize that the loud crack was not my heart until Ryo-oki came   
bolting down the stairs.  
"Ryo-oki!" Ryoko gasped. "Slow down!" She clutched her head.  
"Ayeka!" I screamed. All the signals, all the clues, rushed through my  
head. I ran towards the stairs and leapt over the banister, landing about  
half-way up the stairs, and taking the rest in a single bound.  
The loud crack had come from Ryo-oki literally leaping through the wall,  
sending chips of wood and paper across the floor. I slid the door open, already  
knowing Ayeka's fate.  
The scene still surprised me. Ayeka was so serene.  
Her blood stained the white dress into a gentle pink. She looked so  
beautiful, so peaceful. If it were not for the silver dagger thrust into her,  
I would think she was just asleep.  
But she would never wake. She lay on her futon, a death raft, floating  
in a sea of red water.  
Ayeka's death was a work of art. A grusome, horrible, beautiful work of  
goddamn art!  
"Tenchi? Ayeka? What happened?" Sasami! She must not see this. I  
knew Sasami must be spared.  
I twisted around, hitting her with as much force as I could, enough   
force to send her away, to lift her off the ground, to knock her into the other   
room so I could lock her in there, so she couldn't see the horror.  
Damn you Ayeka! You made me strike Sasami!  
  
Now I stand, alone, in the Ryo-oki, flying towards Jurai. In my hand I  
clutch the letter which rested by Ayeka's head. A letter written in Ayeka's own  
blood! I do not even remember what it says, and my tears prevent me from  
reading it again. But it is Azusa's fault. That much I remember. I do not  
know what Azusa did to make his daughter take her own life, but I will see him  
dead for it! We will see him dead for it! Ryo-oki and I!  
  
Damn you, Azusa!  
Damn you, Ayeka!  
Damn you, Tenchi!  
Damn it all!  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Send C&C to lighthawkwings@masakishrine.com  
  



	5. Ayeka`s Action

Disclaimer: These characters belong to AIC and Pioneer  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Red Waters  
Ayeka's Action  
  
I didn't want to do this. But it has to be done. I am not concerned  
whether it is right or wrong, because there was nothing else that could be done.  
What difference does right and wrong make anyway? They don't seem to be as  
clear as they used to be.  
  
The begining events of the day are a blur, so similar to the ones of the  
day before, and the day before that, and the week before that. My life had  
become quite redundant, quite monotonous.  
Quite wonderful.  
But this day was different than the others. For while I was eating  
breakfast, I heard Father speak to me.  
"Come!" Was all he said.  
Hastily I exited to my Ryu-oh. I reached out to it, and bent my   
thoughts into it.  
I floated in the rainbow voids. Father stood before me.  
A wordless conversation passed between us, in this world of mere   
thought. I begged him to reconsider, but he would not be swayed.  
Father's image faded, and I was thrown back to reality. Still I did not  
move, still danced with Ryu-oh's fading lights, as I thought about what I could   
do.  
If I told Tenchi, he would defend me. But Father would not be stopped  
so easily, and not even Tenchi, even with the help of Ryoko and the others,   
could stand against his fleets. All that would accomplish would be to have my   
friends cut down in front of me.  
It was impossible to hide. Father would find me, trace me through my  
ties to Ryu-oh.  
The only option left was to submit. It would be horrible, but only I  
would suffer.  
I and everyone after me.  
I never thought about how horrid our culture was. Everything was built  
on honor. No, not honor. A twisted form of obedience, disguised as honor. It   
was "honorable" to obey the Emperor. It was "honorable" to live and die for   
Jurai. It was "honorable" not to think. Yosho knew true honor, and that is why   
he fled.  
If I submitted, I would strengthen the system, adding my voice to it.  
But if I resisted, I would become a symbol of what happens if one fights the  
system, everything, everyone, destroyed in front of me, and I would be forced  
to submit regardlessly.  
There was one more choice. I could not save myself, but I could reveal  
the false honor, and save others from the fate I would have faced.  
I sighed as Ryu-oh's last light fell silent.  
"Ayeka?" Tenchi asked from behind me. I had not realized he was there.  
Sasami was there as well, as was Ryo-oki. Oh, what could I tell them? "Are you  
alright? You look...lost."  
"On the contrary, Lord Tenchi, where I am has never been more clear."  
I had thought I stood alone, with Tenchi, on Earth. That I was free to  
do what I wished. But that is not where I was. I was in Azusa's hand. Under   
his thumb. My dreams and feelings were treated like a stray dog; humored until   
no longer convienient, then cast aside, thrown into the pouring rain. But not   
for long. Lost? No, I knew exactly where I was, and where I must go.  
"What was that all about?" He asked.  
"Nothing that you should worry about, Lord Tenchi. Just a Jurian thing.  
Something that had to happen."  
Something that HAS to happen is what I wanted to say, but I did not. I  
wanted to tell Tenchi everything, but I did not. I wanted to jump into his  
warm arms, which would protect me from anything, but I did not.  
Because there was nothing Tenchi could have done, but get in the way.  
He would not understand why this had to be done, and would have tried to prevent  
it.  
Of course he believed me. I had years of training and my whole life of  
exeprience in politics, the art of lying.  
I walked back into the house. I had to prepare. Things must be  
perfect.  
  
I started out with the most important thing: my official Princess robes.  
I washed them most thouroughly, running them through multiple times, making sure  
they were as white as could be. Ryo-oki watched me with curiousity, her carrot  
forgotten, clutched tightly between her little hands.  
Tenchi walked by on his way to the shrine.  
"Um, Ayeka? Isn't it Mihoshi's turn to do laundry? You're chore is  
washing the floors, remember?"  
"Yes, I know, but I must make sure this is clean." If only you could  
understand the reasons, Tenchi. Will you ever understand? How much pain will  
I make you suffer? I was tempted to forget this mission and submit, to spare  
those I knew, and to damn those I did not know. But Sasami...I can not let  
Sasami, or others like her, go through that. I must do what I must do.  
"Are those your official robes? The ones you were wearing when you  
first came to Earth?"  
"Yes they are." Their significance will not be lost on you, Tenchi.  
Perhaps, you will understand, a little bit, at least.  
"But you haven't worn those since you got here. Why do you need them to  
be so clean now?"  
"It is important that they are the purest white."  
"Um, why?" I wanted to tell him everything, but I had already said too  
much.  
"Do not trouble yourself, Lord Tenchi. It is a private matter.  
Something I must do as the First Princess of Jurai."  
"Um, alright, but you still need to wash the floors." He said as he  
left as he left  
"I will." Of course I would. That was important, too.  
"You know, if you don't stop that soon, you'll be the first person ever  
to bleach white." Ryoko said as she teleported behind me. I froze for a second,  
then continued my work.   
"I must make sure. It is important that they are spotless for what is  
to come." Oh, yes. What is to come...It is for the good of everybody. It must  
come!  
"And that is?"  
"Just some Jurian diplomacy. I must deliver a message. Do not trouble  
yourself, Miss Ryoko." An image of Ryoko and me fighting Kagato floated into my  
head. She had failed because she did not use her ultimate attack, could not,  
for I would be vaporized. If only I had known the truth then...nothing would  
have held her back.  
I turned my head as a single tear rolled down my cheek, splashing into  
the bucket of soapy water.  
I sighed as Ryoko teleported away to torment Tenchi.  
A loud plunk brought me back. Ryo-oki was crying, suds covering her  
face. Her carrot floated in the bucket of water with my robes.  
"There there, little one." I smiled, as I dabbed at the soap that had  
gotten in Ryo-oki's eye with a damp towel. Still she cried. I smiled as I  
pulled out a carrot from my kimono. It's funny that I do not think it odd that  
I carry carrots with me. Ryo-oki let out a happy "Miya." and everything seemed  
to be alright.  
  
I began washing the floors. I washed them carefully, making sure that  
they were as clean as possible. Especially the floor in the room that I slept  
in with Sasami. I also took that time to clean the room properly, making sure  
everything was in it's place, and everything clean of dust and dirt. That room  
must be flawless.   
Ryoko floated above me, pointing out "missed spots" and other things  
that usually got me upset. Ryoko was really worried about me. I could tell.  
It hurts so much to think about the fact that I will hurt Ryoko as well. It   
would be so much easier if she really didn't care about me.  
Sasami and Ryo-oki also popped in, asking me to play with them. But I  
couldn't. I must make sure everything was ready.  
"Everything must be perfect." Is what I told them. Everything WAS   
perfect is what I really meant. But now things must change. Sasami...you are   
the child here. I fear for you the most.  
The chores were finished. Everything was ready. The rest of the day,   
was mine, to enjoy, to savor, to remember.  
  
I finished my chores just in time. The soap opera that we all watch  
together, even Little Washu, was about to be on. But I did not pay attention.  
The characters mocked me, their problems seemed so small, so insignificant,  
compared to mine. Instead, I watched the others. Most did not notice. Ryoko  
noticed, but she thought I was just bugging her. I think Tenchi realized it. A  
part of me begged for Tenchi to figure it out, to stop me, but that would only  
make things worse.  
  
After the show was over, it was time for lunch. I ate very slowly,  
savoring the taste of each mouthfull. Sasami's cooking had never tasted better.  
I ate three servings, memorizing the tastes and textures as much as possible.  
"With that kind of appetite, it's no wonder that Tenchi likes me  
better than you. What, did Tenchi knock you up or something?" Ryoko was trying  
her hardest to get a response from me. Her claim that Tenchi liked her better  
than me hurt, even though I knew she was just saying it for a reaction. Her  
accusing me of being "knocked up" had the opposite effect. Why should I be  
embarassed by such a statement. Because she insulted my honor? Ha! Honor  
meant little to me now.  
I wish I hadn't been so reserved now. It would be so great to lie with  
Tenchi, to be one with him, be close to him like no other.  
Perhaps it is for the best. All it could have done is hurt Tenchi even  
more.  
I continued eating, letting the flavor of each bite fill my mouth before  
moving on to the next one.  
  
After lunch I played with Ryo-oki and Sasami. I let them find me,  
soaking in the excitement on their faces. I tackled Ryo-oki, taking in the   
smell of the grass. I absorbed the wind against my face as we raced back and   
forth between Azake and Kamidake. I cherished Sasami's giggling and Ryo-oki's   
cheerful "Miya" as she reached for the carrot that Sasami and I tossed back and  
forth.  
  
Then I took a walk. The sun had never been brighter, the sky clearer,  
the trees more beautiful. The world could not be more perfect. This did not   
make me sad, for it was because of what was to come that made it so grand to my   
eyes.  
I spent a long time on my walk. I visited Funaho, the carrot fields,  
the forests. Ryo-oki's lake, Ryoko's cave, the tool shed where Tenchi and I hid  
from the rain, and I fell in love. So many memories here. I have more memories  
in the year I spent here, than all the time I spent on Jurai, happier ones  
too. So much more seemed to happen here, a single day worth an entire year on  
Jurai.  
Now I cried, for there would be no new memories of the wonders that took  
place here on this overlooked little world.  
  
It was dark before I came back. Everyone was watching the news. I  
entered slowly, deliberately drawing attention to me. I studied each of them,  
one by one, memorizing the details of each of them, how the looked the last time  
I would see them. It saddened me that I would not get to see Katsuhito, my  
brother, again, but I could not face him, because he would stop me.  
Washu hardly even acknowledged me, busy solving advanced equations in  
her head. Her brow creased, her eyes sparkling, she was a perfect balance   
between a genius and a child.  
Mihoshi smiled at me, oblivious to my analyzing stare. Her eyes spoke  
of a child-like innocence and of the kind-heart and good intentions that went  
with it.  
Nobuyuki sweatdropped under my eyes. He was a kind and friendly man,  
who had welcomed the storm of chaos into his house with open arms. Although   
often a bit lecharous, he was quite charming, and never meant anything by it.  
Ryoko squirmed under my gaze, trying to figure out a way to stare back.  
Our bickering added a sense of adventure to every day, as well as keeping our  
fighting skills honed. Although neither of us would have admitted it, we were   
very close, like sisters.  
My eyes lingered on Tenchi. His eyes were filled with an unknown worry.  
He tried to look away, but his eyes kept returning. His eyes told me that he  
knew, but his body told me that he had yet to admit it to himself.  
Finally, I came to Sasami. She trembled, her eyes filled with a fear   
that she did not understand. It nearly broke my heart, and once again, I  
had to fight my resolve. But in the long run, this would spare Sasami. It  
must!  
"If anybody needs me, I shall be in my room. Please, do not interrupt  
me unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed."  
Slowly, I climbed the stairs, my eyes shut, their faces lingering on my  
eyelids. My other senses reached out, as I felt the soft wood of the handrail  
and listened to the quiet creaks of the floorboards.  
It's so hard to explain what I felt. I was both happy, yet sad, eager,  
yet terrified. The joy that I had spent at least some time in this wonderful  
place mingled with the sorrow that it would end so soon. The excitement of my  
careful planning and the immense result it would have, blended with the horrors  
of death and of the pain that I would cause Tenchi and the others.  
  
I undressed quickly, forcing myself to go on, and I slipped on my   
Princess robes. I redid my ponytails, making sure they were smooth, and draped   
them in front of my shoulders. A quick inspection of my crown revealed some   
dust and mud, which I carefully washed off, before adjusting it to make sure it   
was perfectly straight.  
The perfect Princess stared back at me from the mirror. Not who I was,  
at least not anymore, but who they saw me as, and who I needed to be for this.  
It is time. It will not be long before Tenchi finds an excuse to check  
on me. He knows...  
I open the drawer and take out the old wooden box. Inside are a sheet   
of paper, and an intricate silver dagger, it's hilt carved to resemble   
Tenchi-ken.  
My awareness of the world peeked, I stagger at the mere prick of my   
finger with the dagger.  
Anger, rage, hatred. These dark emotions fill my mind as I trace   
letters with my finger, the dark red ink seeping into the paper. Although I   
have not planned what I will write, I move with confidence, the words forming in   
my head moments before my finger gets to them:  
  
To Lord Azusa Jurai, of the Jurain Empire:  
Since the language of blood seems to be the only one you understand, I  
use it to leave you this message. It sickens me to think that a culture can be  
so concerned about blood, yet completely ignores the heart. I am disgusted that  
you place your dignity and pride, so labeled "honor," above the happiness of  
your daughter, for I loved Tenchi, yet you still took him away. I am ashamed  
that, in life, I willingly accepted this culture. And now that I have been  
shown it's flaws, I am punished for this knowledge. I once called you Father,  
but now you are only Lord Azusa Jurai to me. I loathe you. Your stubborness  
and arrogance have left me with no choice, but to do what I have done. Know   
this. I have done this not for myself, but for those who will fill my place.  
-Ayeka Jurai, First Princess of Jurai. Deceased  
  
My head is swimming, not from lack of blood, but because I signed the   
paper "Deceased." I have declared myself dead.  
There is only one step left.  
My death will not be a random thing, a moment of decisiveness, no. It  
is carefully planned out. Everything shall symbolize something. I, of course,   
am myself, or rather, who I'm supposed to be, the First Princess. This pristine  
room is the Jurian Empire, and my robes are the "honor" and "dignity" of the  
Royal House of Jurai. The dagger, made of silver, the holy metal, is the blade  
of truth, which will reveal what Jurai really is, without it's illusions.  
I rest on my futon, the letter resting by my head. I spin the blade in  
my hands for a second, admiring it's bright polish, and it's razor sharp edge.  
There is no time for this. Tenchi will be here to stop me. I must act  
now.  
"Good-bye." I whisper, my eyes shut. I force myself not to cry. It is  
hard, I want to cry so much, but I must not ruin the image, the message. "Be  
strong...Sasami. Please understand...Tenchi. Good-bye."  
I'm surprised at how easily I plunged the dagger into my own flesh. I  
had expected it to be harder. But then, I don't have anything to lose, really.   
I died this morning. This is just the finishing touches.  
Searing pain bursts through my breast, as the blade burrows between my  
ribs. Almost immediately the pain vanishes as the numness of death overpowers  
it, the blade of truth piercing my heart.  
My vision is fading as I watch, with detached interest, the blood   
seeping from my chest, staining the robes, and flowing out onto the floor.  
Go, red waters. Wash away the lies and reveal the truth.  
I close my eyes as the black waters overtakes me.  
I didn't want to do this. But it has to be done.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
That ends Red Waters. Next will be Black Waters, which will have   
Katsuhito, Mihoshi, and Washu sections as well.  
  
C&C goes to lighthawkwings@masakishrine.com  
  



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